The restaurant, like the menu, is simple. Half a dozen wooden tables and chairs and bright orange walls covered with food descriptions form the backdrop for a list of four entree items. While offerings are few, the food doesn’t lack in taste or nutrition.

The soup curry, inspired by dishes from Sapporo, Japan (Portland’s sister city), combines potato, kabocha squash, carrots, and cauliflower with fragrant spices and oriental broth. Topped with hardboiled egg and a side of brown rice, this soup qualifies as a well-rounded meal and comfort food during chilly winter months.

The second option, called “no buns,” features what chef Ichiro "Richi" Sato says is one of the most well-loved home-cooked meals in Japan: hamburger steak. Richi’s serves their 100 percent Angus beef in a savory sauce with brown rice and vegetables.

The description for the “Taco” rice dish with miso marinated chicken states that it was originally marketed to American soldiers at the Okinawa base and has since become a popular meal. History aside, it’s pretty tasty.

Dishes are available in two sizes, mini and plenty, and spice levels range from slightly spicy to very.

"This is not teriyaki chicken and California rolls," Sato said. "These are Japanese dishes that most Americans don't know about."